The present invention relates to fault conditions in self-service terminals, and is particularly directed to a method of an operator handling a fault condition in an image-based self-service check depositing terminal, such as an image-based check depositing automated teller machine (ATM).
A typical non-image-based check depositing ATM allows an ATM customer to deposit a check (without having to place the check in any deposit envelope) in a public access, unattended environment. To deposit a check, an ATM customer inserts a customer identification card through a user card slot at the ATM, enters the amount of the check being deposited, and inserts the check through a check slot. A check transport mechanism receives the inserted check and transports the check in a forward direction along a check transport path to a number of locations within the ATM to process the check. If the check is not accepted for deposit, the check is returned to the ATM customer via the check slot. If the check is accepted for deposit, the amount of the check is deposited into the ATM customer's account and the check is transported to and stored in a storage bin within the ATM. An endorser printer prints an endorsement onto the check as the check is being transported to the storage bin.
Checks stored in the storage bin within the ATM are periodically picked up and physically transported via courier to a back office facility of a financial institution. At the back office facility, the checks are prepared at a document preparation workstation for subsequent processing in an image-based check processing system located at the back office facility. In a first pass of checks through the image-based check processing system, check image data which is representative of images of the checks is captured. Then in a second pass of checks through an image-based check processing system, the checks are encoded and sorted and matched up with their corresponding check image data which was previously captured during the first pass of checks. The second pass of checks may be made through either the same image-based check processing system that the first pass of checks was made or a different image-based check processing system. Checks are processed in the first and second passes through the image-based check processing system(s) for purpose of clearing checks between financial institutions, as is known.
As an alternative to capturing check image data in a first pass of checks through an image-based check processing system located at the back office facility (which requires the checks to be physically transported from the ATM to the back office facility before the first pass of checks can be performed), proposals have been made to initially capture check image data at the ATM. An image-based check depositing ATM is needed to capture check image data which is representative of checks deposited at the ATM. In a typical image-based check depositing ATM, check image data is initially captured in a “first pass” of checks through the ATM. The remotely-captured check image data is then sent electronically to the back office facility. At a later time, the checks are picked up at the ATM and physically transported via courier to the back office facility. Then, in a “second pass” of checks through an image-based check processing system located at the back office facility, the checks are matched up with their corresponding check image data which was previously captured at the ATM. The checks are then further processed as required.
From time to time, a fault condition may occur such that a check image is not captured during a check depositing transaction. For example, the check may become jammed in an ATM (whether the ATM is of the non-image-based type or of the image-based type) while an ATM customer is conducting a check depositing transaction at the ATM. When this occurs, a responsible operator is dispatched to the particular ATM to clear the document jam condition. The responsible operator may be a bank branch employee, for example. As another example, the responsible operator may be an employee of a third party transit company.
If the document jam condition occurred in a non-image-based type of check depositing ATM, then the responsible operator would clear the document jam condition by typically removing the jammed check and then placing the removed check into the storage bin that the check would have been transported if the document jam condition had not occurred. After the document jam condition is cleared, the non-image-based check depositing ATM is placed back into operation and is ready to process the next ATM transaction for the next ATM customer.
However, if the document jam condition occurred in an image-based type of check depositing ATM, then problems may arise during later check processing steps at the back office facility. If the removed check was imaged at the ATM before the document jam condition occurred, then there should be no problem during later check processing steps because check image data associated with this particular check has been captured and transmitted to the back office facility. In this case, the responsible operator can simply place the check into the storage bin that the check would have been transported if the document jam condition had not occurred. This check along with other checks in the storage bin are picked up at a later time and transported to the back office facility for further processing.
On the other hand, if the removed check was not imaged at the ATM before the document jam condition occurred, then there will be a problem during later check processing steps at the back office facility because check image data associated with this particular check has not been captured and, therefore, could not have been transmitted to the back office facility. If the responsible operator places the removed check into the storage bin, this would not correct the problem that has been created because an image of this check still has not been captured and transmitted to the back office facility. Further, when an image of the check has not been captured before the document jam condition occurred, the responsible operator may not know what to do with the check that has been removed to clear the document jam condition.